Journal lubricators for railroad car trucks



June 19, 1962 P. KARPUK ETAL 3,039,832

JOURNAL LUBRICATORS FOR RAILROAD CAR TRUCKS Filed Oct. 10, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvsmons PHILIP KARPUK JOHN L.BINGHAM BWz/ hfl ATTORNEYS m k\\\\\\ M\\ \Q June 19, 1962 P. KARPUK ETAL 3,039,332

JOURNAL LUBRICATORS FOR RAILROAD CAR TRUCKS Filed Oct. 10, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS PHILIP KARPUK JOHN L. BINGHAM United States Patent 3,039,832 JOURNAL LUBRICATORS FOR RAILROAD CAR TRUCKS Philip Karpuk, 59 Stirton St., Hamilton, and John Bingham, 190 Shanty Bay Road, Barrie, Ontario,

Canada Filed Oct. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 61,672 4 Claims. (Cl. 308-83) Our invention relates to improvements in lubricating devices for railroad car truck axle journals and the object of the invention is to provide an oil containing pan and resilient support therefor for placement under the journal of a truck axle and whereby the journal rotates in contact with the oil in the pan.

A further and particular object of the invention 18 to provide a device wherein the pan is maintained in position by the provision of an inflatable air bag element which with the oil pan may be readily inserted, when deflated, into the standard journal box surrounding an axle journal, and when inflated urges the pan upwardly into required position in relation to the journal.

Another object of the invention is to form the pan of pliable rubber-like material and to provide several semicircular ribs upon its inner surface, the ribs engaging the journal under the urge of the inflated air bag fittmg against the inner side faces and inner bottom face of the journal box.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as shall appear, our invention consists of a railroad car truck axle lubricating device constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view through the device and taken through the line 11 FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view through the device and taken through the line 22, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the device and taken through the line 33, FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is an outside end view of the device.

The axle and journal box assembly to which our invention is applied follows standard practice in comprising a truck axle 2 carrying a rail wheel 3 and having a journal 4 upon its outer end upon which rests a bearing brass 5 retained in position by a wedge 6 inserted between the brass and the inner face of the top of a journal box 7.

Our oil lubricating device is arranged to be positioned within the journal box 7 underneath the journal 4, the oil containing pan 8 being of substantially semi-cylindrical shape to surround the lower portion of the journal and preferably formed of pliable rubber-like material. The interior face of the pan carries several semi-circular ribs of substantially the same radius as the radius of the journal 4 and against which they bear, the ribs 9 and 10 being positioned in the end portions of the pan and the ribs 12 intermediately of the length of the pan.

The ribs are preferably of a flexible nature, and in particular this is true of the inner end rib 9 which must be in close uniform contact with the face of the journal to provide a seal against leakage of oil from the inner end of the pan along the face of the journal.

For the purpose of retaining the oil pan in position in relation to the journal an air inflatable bag 13 formed of rubber-like material is provided and in which the oil pan forms the upper wall thereof, the bag and pan being preferably moulded as a unit. The bag is formed with flat sides and a flat bottom and is so dimensioned that its sides and bottom press against the inside faces of the sides and bottom of the journal box 7 when the lubricating device assembly is inserted into the journal box and the bag 3,039,832 Patented June 19, 1962 inflated by connecting an air line (not shown) to the valve 14.

The oil pan and bag assembly is so dimensioned in length that its outer end 15, retaining the oil within the pan and air within the bag, is spaced away from the outer side face of the journal flange 16 to provide a convenient opening 17 through which oil may be poured into the pan. To permit oil when poured into the pan-to flow past the ribs 12 resting against the face of the journal, the lower portions of the ribs contain suitable ,orifices 18 through which the oil flows.

As truck axles 2 necessarily have a certain amount of end play the outer face 19 of the end rib 9 is chamfered correspondingly to the chamfer 20 between the shaft 2 and journal 4 so that the chamfer faces mate should axle end play be of such a degree that they are brought into contact.

To insert the lubricating device in place the bag 13 is deflated by opening the valve 14 and the bag and oil pan, which are relatively pliable, inserted into the journal box 7 to a position wherein the oil pan underlies the journal 4. The bag upon inflation presses against the inside faces of the sides and bottom of the journal box and thus presses the ribs 9, 10 and 12 into contact with the face of the journal 4, the rib 9 constituting an oil seal at the inner end of the pan. Oil is then poured into the pan through its top opening 17, our lubricating device being then ready for service to give full journal lubrication for long periods without replenishing, the air pressure within the bag evenly pressing the pliable pan ribs along their lengths against the journal and thus continuously compensating for any running wear.

As train stopping and starting may possibly cause oil to surge over the edges of the sides of the pan, the edges in their joining with the upper edges of the sides of the bag are formed with upwardly inclined lips 21 terminating in vertical ribs 22 and which arrangement receives any oil surge to direct it back into the pan.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that we have devised a very pratcical and eflicient lubricating device for railroad car truck axle journals, and although we have shown and described a particular embodiment of our invention it is to be understood that we may make any alterations or changes that we may deem necessary without departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In combination with a railroad truck journal box having bottom and side walls and an axle journal protruding into the box intermediately of the height of its side walls, a journal lubricating oil containing pan formed of resilient material and positioned underneath and surrounding the lower portion of the journal, said pan having several integral portions in embracing engagement with the journal, and an air inflated bag having bottom and side walls and contained within the journal box underneath the journal to support the pan and urge its said portions into embracing engagement with the journal, the bottom and side walls of the bag extending along and bearing against the bottom and lower portions of the side Walls of the journal box.

2. A lubricating oil containing pan in combination with a journal box and axle journal as defined in claim 1, wherein the integral portions of the pan embracing the journal are spaced apart vertical ribs extending transversely of the axis of the journal and formed with substantially semi-circular upper edges of substantially the same radius as the radius of the journal and bearing against the journal, one of said ribs forming the inner end of the pan to provide oil sealing relationship against the passage of oil from out of the pan along the face of the journal.

3 4 3. A lubricating oil containing pan in combination With are attached to the upper edge portions of the side edges a journal boX and axle journal as defined in claim 2, of the pan by lips having their upper faces sloped downwherein the pan is of semi-circular shape to surround Wardly towards the journal for reception of surging oil. the lower half of the journal and is integral with and constitutes the upper portion of the bag, the upper edge 5 Refereilcgs Cited in the file of this P portions of the sides of the bag being attached to the UNITED STATES PATENTS upper portions of the side edges of the pan.

4. A lubricating oil containing pan in combination with XI et a1 "3 a journal box and axle journal as defined in claim 3, 5 g z i 1957 wherein the upper edge portions of the sides of the bag 10 

